


Five Times Rhodey Nearly Lost Tony... and One Time He Actually Did

by noirsparker



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, This hurts, im so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 14:54:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18853330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noirsparker/pseuds/noirsparker
Summary: Rhodey has watched Tony almost die so many times, but he never prepared himself for when it would actually happen.





	Five Times Rhodey Nearly Lost Tony... and One Time He Actually Did

Rhodey is just starting his third year of college, his first one out of a dorm, when his whole world comes crashing down. Tony stark, the snarky little shit who'd been his roommate last year, had called him and begged him to take him to the hospital. "I can't explain why... I don't have anyone else. Please" It doesn't take Rhodey long to figure out that somebody had beaten him senseless. It takes him a few weeks to realise who did it. The doctor at the hospital has to sedate tony for surgery and tells James to prepare in the event that Tony doesn't wake up. It's quite a high chance. In the two weeks tony is recovering in the hospital, James misses all his classes and has to file for extensions on his assignments. Tony tells him he's not worth losing his scholarship for. James tells him that's absolute bullshit. By the time Tony is discharged, they're firm friends, James even lets Tony stay at his place during breaks once he works out that home, and Howard, isn't particularly safe.

The next time is Tony's first kidnapping. He's held for ransom by someone Howard had angered. They're given a month to get the money, and James isn't convinced Howard will pay in time. He works 3 jobs to afford it. By the time Maria convinces Howard to pay, James has raised maybe 2/3 of the money needed. Tony is bloody and bruised, and his hands have been bound for so long he almost loses them. James cries for an hour when he sees him. A week later is the first time Tony calls him Rhodey. It's a name only he's allowed to use.

The next time, he's kidnapped in Afghanistan. Rhodey tries so hard not to blame himself for not riding with him, but how can he when maybe he could have kept him safe? When they finally find Tony, stranded in the desert, Rhodey hides his fear with a joke and pretends everything's fine. Nothings fine. He's tired of almost losing him. He's tired of feeling like he's the only one who would care if he did.

Then, it's New York. He watches Tony fly a nuke through a wormhole and holds his breath with the rest of the world as the wormhole closes and Tony doesn't come through. He's already begun to mourn, for what feels like the hundredth time, when Tony comes back out. He swears he's gonna kill Tony but all he really wants is to hug him. He tries not to be disappointed when Pepper gets there first.  
22 days is a very long time, the longest Rhodey has ever feared for Tony's life. once again, Rhodey wishes he at least could have been there, at least could have helped his friend feel at rest. He cries when nobody's around, body literally shaking with sobs for a man he's loved for 30 years. a man whose death he may never receive closure for. When he sees tony step off of the ship, it takes all his energy not to collapse. It takes everything in him not to run to him as he always wishes he could. His heart doesn't stop aching for days after Tony's return.

When Tony dies, Rhodey gets the one thing he wished for every other time. He's there, he's able to comfort him. He had never considered that that might be much much worse. He watches a man who's lived his whole life wishing it could be over die, and he knows that he wishes he could finally live. He watches his family surround him, not realising that Tony includes him in that and always has. He cries for weeks afterwards, he breaks down the most after the funeral, which made it all too real. He feels like he doesn't deserve to mourn as he does, Tony was never his to mourn. But Peppers loving hug, Morgans attempt to cheer him up (bless her, she was too young to understand her dad wasn't coming back), Happy's gentle reassurance that Tony had always considered him family, made him realise that Tony did love him. Perhaps not in the way he had loved Tony, but the love had always been there. And Rhodey learned this too late. Tony was already gone.


End file.
